Supporting clamps



Jan. '24, 1961 A, TINNERMA 2,968,850

SUPPORTING CLAMPS Filed March 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR GEORGE A. T/NNERMAN BY- A TTORNEY Jan. 24, 1961 s. A. TINNERMAN 2,968,350

' SUPPORTING CLAMPS Filed March 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TOR GEORGE A. TINNE/PMAN A TTORNE Y5 United States Patent '0 SUPPORTING CLAMPS George A. Tinnerman, 17864 Beach Road, Cleveland 7, Ohio Filed Mar. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 720,214

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-81) This invention relates to supporting clamps and in particular, a clamp capable of securement to a rod or wire.

A clamp of the present invention is particularly adaptable to the support or suspension of suspended ceiling construction and will be illustrated in respect thereto although not confined soley to this function.

In building construction, it has been well-known practice to enclose pipes, ducts, beams and other structural elements between the original structural ceiling and a suspended ceiling, the latter then forming a smooth uninterrupted ceiling structure. This finished ceiling may consist of metal lath with plaster or acoustical board or tile or acoustical metal pan or any such like material including plastic materials presently employed in some cases, all of which are secured to the suspended subceiling structure and which in addition is adapted to support such objects as fluorescent trougher lighting fixtures, diffusers for air conditioning and exhaust, etc. This suspended sub-ceiling structure usually consists of a series of U-channels generally 1 /2 inch channel with inch flanges top and bottom suspended from the main structural ceiling a distance sufficient to allow for enclosure of all objects as mentioned above, as well as air ducts, air transfer mechanisms and lighting mechanisms. These channels have generally been supported in two ways: 1) wire tying method, and (2) so-called rigid suspension employing rods, wherein the wires and/or rods are suspended from the original structural ceiling to be united at the proper level with the U-channels forming the sub-ceiling structure.

The wire tying method embodies a coil of approximately .160 diameter round steel wire, one end being attached to and suspended from the main structural ceiling and the other terminating the suspension approximately one foot or more longer than the specified level of the sub-ceiling structure. These wires are suspended on four foot centers and the free end of the wire is then bent twice to form a substantially hook-like terminal at the lower suspended end finally to receive the channels to secure them at the proper level. This level is obtained by measuring down from the ceiling or up from the floor to locate on the wire the predetermined position of the sub-structure which is marked on the wire. A water (bubble) gauge tube is then stretched from this wire to a suspended wire across the enclosure from the first one as to determine the proper level at this point. Then by stretching a chalk line between these two wires at the proper level, the intervening suspended wires may be marked at the proper level. The wires are then bent, as above noted, at this point. It is diflicult to bend these wires accurately at marked level points and while bending is accomplished sometimes merely by pliers, in many instances portable bending tools such as breaks must be employed. The method is, therefore, laborious and time consuming and the bent wires must be finally twisted around a suspended portion thereof when the channel has "ice been positioned in order to secure the latter. Moreover, after the channels have been positioned in this manner, it may be noted that upward pressure placed on this subceiling structure will permit it to give. For instance, where a sub-structural channel ceiling is used for support of metal lath on which a plaster ceiling is placed, the actual act of trowelling of plaster causes an upward pressure suificient to deform the wires resulting in a wavy irregular surface ceiling.

In the second method, rods are suspended from the original structural ceiling such as from the open web steel joists, the lower free end of the rods being threaded for use with nuts and washers designed to secure a C- clamp which has slots in its flanges for engagement with the rod after being fitted over the U-channel desired to be secured to the suspended rod. Therefore, after the level mark is made on the rod, it is necessary laboriously to turn the nuts on the rod until disposed adjacent to the level mark. Then the U-channel bar is attached which is usually in approximately 16 foot lengths and is manipulated by two operators who grasp the U-channel in one hand and a C-clamp in the other, then must grasp one of the washers located between the nuts on the threaded lower end of the adjacent suspended rod, push it to the bottom surface of the upper end and hold it with the thumb of the left hand which is holding the U-channel to keep the washer from sliding down. Then with the right hand he places a C-clamp over the channel and with a sidewise movement locates it by causing the slots therein to locate the threaded nut of the rod and the adjacent slots on the C-clamp must then be bent to keep the clamp from sliding away from the nuts and rod as the operator tightens the nuts, care being taken to see that the channel is located at the level mark. When an acoustical ceiling or fluorescent light fixtures are to be attached to the channel substructure, T-bar channel is used secured to U- channels on two foot centers either directly by spring wire clips or in some instances spaced from the U-channels a distance of approximately four to eight inches therebelow to make room for accommodation of trougher fluorescent light bodies or other structures. Different methods have been employed to provide this spacing such as wiring or by the attachment of short channellike elements.

In all cases these methods are complicated and time consuming and consequently quite costly while involving other disadvantages. The clamp of the present invention eliminates these general disadvantages and provides a much more efficient and economical means of adjustably suspending and locating the channels of the sub-ceiling structure as well as T-bar channel structures suspended from the latter where necessary. With it the installation procedure is accomplished in about one minute as contrasted to as much as five minutes with the older methods and savings in material costs are very substantial.

According to the invention a supporting clamp is provided securable on an element in the form of a rod or the like against axial displacement thereon, which comprises a unit formed from a single piece of metal having resilient characteristics bent to form a body and a pair of arms projecting therefrom substantially in the same direction and in spaced apart relation, each arm having an orifice therein substantially registering with one another for passage therethrough of said elements, each of the arms having a single spring locking lug including a gripping edge which forms one edge of said orifice, each lug being biased to engage said element in biting pressure engagement against axial displacement of said units, at least one of said arms forming the supporting means for the attachment of an object to be supported, the arms being compressible to release locking engagement of said lugs with said element and when compressed the clamp may be quickly slid axially along the rod to any desired simple manner in which a channel is secured thereto when said clamp is secured on a suspending rod.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the clamp shown in operative relation to a suspending rod and. illustrating the manner in. which it is released from clamping function and readily shifted in respect to the rod.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken through the clamp.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the clamp.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of the clamp.

Fig. 8- is a side elevation of the clamp as shown in Fig. l but illustrating a bowed body portion therefor.

Fig. 9'is a perspective view of a modified form of clamp according to the present invention particularly adapted for the support of T-channel and the like.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the clamp as shown in Fig. 9 in conjunction with a suspending rod.

Fig. 11 is a similar view to- Fig. 10 but showing a modified gripping means for T-channel and the like; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the clamp as shown in Fig. 11 more clearly to illustrate the object gripping means.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figs. I to 6, A indicates the clamp as awhole which is comprised by a single piece of metal bent on itself to form a body B and a pair of arms C and D projecting from the body in substantially the same direction and in spaced apart relation to one another. Each of the arms are orificed as at 10 and 11 respectively substantially in registry with one another and defining a path for the passage therethrough of a suspending rod or wire E. On one side of the orifice 10 a rod or wiregripping means is provided, preferably in the form of a single spring locking lug' such as 12 and 13 respectively, which lugs terminate in a free biting edge 14 which in effectforms one edge of the orifices 10 and 11. The arms are preferably ribbed longitudinally as indicated at.15, which rib structure extends into the lug to provide a substantially rigid but effective gripping jaw. The lugs 12. and 13, as indicated, are. struck to incline fromthe arm at an angle and in, opposed. directions to one another and consequently are biased. to engage the suspending rod or wire E in biting pressure engagement against axial displacement of said clamp when locked to the rod. The gripping edge of this lug is preferably recessed or forked as at 16 in order more efficiently to engage the curved surface of the suspending wire or rod. The body B is preferably ribbed as at 17 while the part of this body and the arms C are formed with peripheral flanges 18 continuing from one to the other as shown to form a substantial reinforced unit.

The free ends of the arms are formed with securing means for securing to the clamp and thus to the suspended rod or wire E, an object to be supported such as the channel section F. The lower arm is formed with the hook-like terminal 19 whereas the upper arm is formed with what may be termed a cam lock 20 having the projecting tongue 21 formed with the downwardly depending sloped flanges or runners 22.

The clamp is preferably made from spring steel of suitable gauge andthe structure is such that these arms are inherently spring biased in opposite directions outwardly in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axial direction of the body B. However, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, these arms may be grasped by thumb and finger and compressed towards one another so that the clamp may be slid onto a rod or wire which passes through the registering orifices 10 and 11 and positioned on the wire quickly at any desired point along its length. On release of the arms, the spring bias thereof will then cause the lugs 12 and 13 to engage the rod or wire E in a biting pressure engagement. In fact, tests have shown that when a channel bar is inserted in the clamp it will withstand a tensile pull greater than 700 pounds. For predetermined standard suspensions or special suspensions, the clamp may be combined as a composite unit with a predetermined length of rod E and I preferably propose to graduate the rod with the uniformly spaced graduations 23 whereby the clamp can be quickly located at a predetermined or desired level.

The facility of mounting the U-channel thereon for sub-celing structure or the like is aptly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The clamp may be quickly slipped onto the suspending rod or wire E in the manner described. Then by inserting a flange of the channel F of the hook-like terminal 19 of the clamp, as shown in Fig. 2, a simple twist of the operators wrist will cause the channel to snap into secured position, as shown in Fig. 3, and wherein the free edges of the flanges of the channel are firmly locked with the base of the channel in firm butting engagement with the element E. Moreover, it will be appreciated that when the channel is located and secured by the arms C and D of the clamp, it has the effect of increasing the bite of the lugs 12 and 13 and in effect reinforces and consolidates the gripping action. This results from the fact that when the arms of the clamp are grasped by thumb and finger and compressed towards one another so that the clamp may be slid on a rod or wire, the lugs 12 and 13 when they engage the rod or wire, prevent the arm from returning completely to normal position from compressed position. Consequently, when the channel bar is snapped into position in the clamp, as in Figure 3, the channel bar forces the arm to normal position, thus increasing the bite of the arms 12 and 13 on the rod or wire.

As shown in Fig. 7 by way of example, the gripping means on the clamp for securing the object to be supported may be modified and by way of illustration here, the lower arm D is provided with a cam lock 20 similarly to that used on the upper arm C. In Fig. 8, the body B is bowed inwardly as shown at 24 since the simple formation of the clamp lends itself to this treatment as a means of increasing the biting pressure on the lugs 12 and 13 where an increased pressure grip may be desired.

Referring now to Figs. 9 to 12, a modified form of clamp is shown suitable for T-bar channels or the like for securement of lighting fixtures such as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 10, or suitable for the mounting of acoustical board and the like as shown in Fig. 11. Here, the short length of suspending rod or wire G, as illustrated, may be substantially hooked at one end as at 25 designed to be engaged over U-channel F of a sub-ceiling structure. The clamp illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 employs a body B with arms C-1 and D-l projecting there from in substantially the same direction as in the other forms, the arm C-l being shorter. Both arms are orificed in a similar manner as at 10 and 11 and are provided with the locking lugs 12 and 13 as to function in a similar manner to the clamp forms previously described in gripping a rod or wire such as E or G. As shown in Fig. 9, the bottom arm D-1 has its free end bent to provide a receiving cavity or recess 26 and a resilient tongue 27 which inclines outwardly and thereby provides a guide surface 28. Adjacent the inner end and flanking the locking lug 12v the arm has the fingers 29 and 30 struck therefrom to project beyond the base of the arm and bent to form hook-like receiving members. Consequently it is but a simple operation to project an edge of a T-bar from such as H (Fig. into the hooked portion of the receiving fingers 29 and 30 and then it is merely necessary to snap the other edge into the receiving recess 26 which readily deflects the resilient tongue 28. It will be noted also in this respect that because the locking lug 12 is disposed between the fingers 29 and 30 and its inner extremity is correlated to the hook-like bend of the fingers 29 and 30, the locking of the T-bar H in the clamp has the effect of increasing or supplementing the biting pressure engagement of the locking lugs 12 on the rod to which it is attached. It is, of course, obvious in this form of construction also that by compressing the arms C-1 and D-l, the locking lugs may be released from gripping engagement and the clamp may be quickly and easily located at any point of a rod or wire desired.

In Figs. 11 and 12, it will be noted that the gripping means have been substantially reversed. In this case, the arm D-l is formed at its free end with the hook-like receiver 31 whereas the other end adjacent to the orifice 11 and on each side of the locking lug 13 is provided with the fingers 32 and 33 which are struck from the arm D-l in a direction opposite to fingers 29 and 30 in Fig. 9 and bent to form the receiving recess 34, whereas the free ends of the fingers 32 and 33 are reversely bent to form a guide surface such that by inserting one edge of a T-bar or the like in the hook-like receiver 31, the other edge is snapped into the receiving recess 34 by moving it over the guide surface of the fingers 33 until it snaps home. In this case also the object supported has the effect of increasing or supplementing the gripping pressure of the locking lug 13.

In use, and by comparison with prior methods of suspending sub-ceiling structure and the like, it is obvious that the clamp of the present invention and the combination of clamp of wire or rod greatly facilitates any installations of this kind and with substantial economy. The rod is suspended from the original structural ceiling or joists in the desired manner and the complicated procedures of past practice are readily eliminated with a simple operation of placing the clamp on the rod by causing the rod to pass through the registering openings of the clamp, positioning the clamp at the desired point on the rod and releasing the arm such that firm biting pressure engagement results between the clamp and rod. Particularly where graduated rod is employed, the clamp may be located eliminating any measurement procedure. Then, whether it is a case of using U-channel bar or T-bar, as the case may be, one workman alone can dispose this element between adjacent clamps and snap it to locking position in a very simple and fast step.

While the clamp of the present invention is very adaptable to suspending subceiling structure and the like, obviously its use is not entirely limited thereto nor is it limited to use as suspended rod or wire. It may readily be used with rod or wire standards and likewise would have an application in respect of horizontally disposed wire, rod or bar.

It will be clear from the foregoing that the structure is of particularly simple character from which most effective results are produced and it will be obvious that the clamp can be economically produced.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A supporting clamp for securing channel bars on a rod or like element against axial displacement thereon comprising a unit formed from a single piece of spring metal and bent to form a body, and a pair of arms of similar length projecting freely from opposite ends thereof in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another, each arm having an orifice therein located adjacent to the body and substantially aligned with one another for passage therethrough of said element, a portion of the metal of each arm bordering a portion of the orifice therein being struck to form adjacent to said orifice a locking lug projecting at an incline outwardly from the arm and in the direction of said body, said lug having a free biting edge, the latter forming one edge of said orifice, said lugs being adapted to engage said element in biting pressure engagement against axial displacement of said unit on said element, said arms being compressible towards one another for passage of said element through said orifices and releasable to engage said biting edge of said lugs with said element, said arms being normally spaced apart from one another a distance substantially equal to the width of the channel bar to be received thereby, said channel bar when received between and in engagement with said arms forcing said arms to normal position to increase the bite of said lugs on said element, and locking means on the ends of said arms for cooperatively engaging said channel bar therebetween in butting engagement with said element.

2. A suspension element for channel bars comprising in combination a clamp and a rodlike element for receiving said clamp in fixed engagement therewith, said clamp being formed from a single piece of spring metal bent to form a body and a pair of arms of similar length projecting freely from opposite ends thereof in substantially parallel spaced apart relation to one another, each arm having an orifice therein located adjacent to the body and substantially aligned with one another for passage therethrough of said element, a portion of the metal of each arm bordering a portion of the orifice therein being struck to form a locking tongue inclining outwardly from its arm in the direction of said body and terminating in a free biting edge, the latter thereby forming one edge of said orifice, said arms being manually compressible towards one another for passage of said element through the orifices thereof and releasable to engage said lugs with said element for retention of said clamp on said element with said arms freely projecting to one side of said element and being normally spaced apart from one another a distance substantially equal to the width of said channel bar, securing means adjacent the free ends of said arms engageable with the flanges of said channel bar for cooperatively securing said channel bar between and in engagement with said arms and in butting relation with said element, said channel bar thereby forcing said arms to normal position as to cause the biting edges of said lugs to engage said element in increased biting engagement for load supporting purposes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,505,220 Shay Aug. 19, 1924 2,263,956 Russell Nov. 25, 1941 2,566,886 Hartman Sept. 4, 1951 2,657,443 Hartman Nov. 3, 1953 2,685,720 Petri Aug. 10, 1954 

